31 international, Kenyan, and Somali legal documents and legislative acts on refugees and displaced people. Digital and print media reports were also reviewed as they contained the most recent reports and provided various case scenarios.
In analyzing the data from the field work, it was first transcribed from the audio recordings to script form. This generated a substantial amount of text (for example every hour generated several pages of raw data). The researcher then re-familiarized himself with the data to draw out the themes contained in the data. After re-familiarization with the data, the researcher coded (labeled) the chunk of data to form of headlines and categories. Because coding involves phases, the coding approach went through open, axial and selective coding respectively. In the open coding phase, the researcher is interested in distinctive issues and conceptualization. In the axial phase, the researcher merged similar or related codes, downgrading some while upgrading others in order to elicit themes and sub-themes. In the final phase of selective coding, the researcher related the themes with the corresponding research questions.
Ethical considerations were accorded high importance in the study. Participants‘ names were kept confidential and comments anonymous. Names of respondents (especially refugees) cited are pseudo names hence protecting their privacy.
32 role of the refugee stakeholders in general, and the refugees in particular. Drawing from repatriation experiences in Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Pakistan and other select countries, this dissertation emphasizes the need for active refugee involvement in the repatriation process. The reasons for the need to repatriate, integrate or resettle as a permanent solution to the refugee problem is also highlighted, as argued by many refugee hosting countries.
This study discusses the Tripartite Agreement signed by Government of Kenya, the Federal Government of Somalia and the UNHCR on 10th November 2013 with a view to explaining the role of the refugees in the TA. The perception of Somali refugees upon safety and security in Somalia, the role of the tripartite parties and the refugees in the repatriation process is also discussed.
Even though resettlement and integration are part of the solution to the refugee problem, the study focuses on repatriation as the most appropriate solution when dealing with large numbers of refugees during emergencies and in protracted situations.
The area of study is a limiting factor, where the focus is on the repatriation process of Somali refugees in Dadaab refugee camps in Northeastern Kenya. The Tripartite Agreement signed by Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR as the roadmap to the repatriation process is discussed in detail in this study. Other tripartite agreements signed elsewhere
33 are used as a basis of understanding this TA and drawing the necessary lessons and trends.
While many tripartite agreements are similar in terms of their provisions in the repatriation process, refugee situations are dynamic to particular circumstances. The findings of this study, regarding the tripartite agreement between Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR may consequently differ significantly if the study was to be done elsewhere.
Results could therefore be taken as a general trend in repatriation circumstances and specifically regarding Somali refugees Kenya in Dadaab camps. Besides that, there is only scarce academic literature on the repatriation of Somali refugees in Kenya after the Tripartite Agreement that was signed on 10th November 2013.The contemporary nature of this study, was also a limiting factor as academics are yet to fully delve into the matter.
Contemporary references especially from published academic works were therefore rare.
Consequently, this dissertation draws upon historical examples in order to situate this case within the broader trend of involuntary repatriation movements and to exemplify the consequences of forced and premature repatriation in relation to the current situation under study.
The short time available for this study, financial limitations and the challenge of movement in the larger Dadaab camps, as a result of safety and security restrictions, limited the study in one way or another. Although there is no agreement among scholars
34 on what constitutes a failed84/failing state, Somalia may be considered as a failed/failing state. Acknowledging this debatable term, this dissertation uses failed state in reference to Somalia. It is still recovering from the ravages of civil war and is still dangerous, even for military personnel. Consequently, the researcher utilized reports from various humanitarian agencies in an attempt to describe the actual state of Somalia. Even so, these reports acknowledge too that most parts of Somalia are inaccessible and large swathes of land are still under the control of the militia. This may have limited the study as the researcher did not have the benefit of corroborating this information with any empirical findings as this was not practically possible to carry out.
In conducting the study, it was not unexpected that many respondents were hesitant for the interviews to be recorded and preferred that the interviewer take notes from the interviewee. Those who chose not to be recorded opted for this option after being informed of their right either to consent or decline to be recorded. In this regard, their wish was respected. In interviewing the security personnel, they indicated their fear of contradicting the Government of Kenya position concerning repatriation, which may have been a limiting factor in the free expression of their views. This also applied to UNHCR officials who express their concern of not wanting to contradict the Government of Kenya position insisting that they would not want to be drawn into the politics of repatriation. To protect the identity of the informants, anonymity was offered to them.
84 A. Simmons, A & D. Tucker, The misleading problem of failed states: a sociogeography of terrorism in the post 9/11 era‖. Third world Quarterly, Vol. 28, No.2, 2007, pp 387-401.
35 To protect their identities, the researcher gave pseudo names to all refugee respondents and other respondents who, because of their sensitive positions, preferred to remain anonymous. Names of refugees appearing in this dissertation, therefore, are not their actual names. This assurance made the respondents freer to be candid in their responses.